1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contents sale system in which contents data such as data representing a tune or an audio visual program are transmitted from a selling agency to a customer when the contents data are bought by the customer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical contents sale system, customer's players can be connected to a computer-based host apparatus in a selling agency via a communication network such as the Internet. Contents data, for example, data representing a tune or an audio visual program, are transmitted and downloaded from the host apparatus to a storage unit in a customer's player when the contents data are bought by a customer.
A first conceivable contents sale system includes terminal apparatuses provided in stores respectively. The terminal apparatus in each store can be connected to a host apparatus in a selling agency via a communication network. A customer's player can be directly connected to the terminal apparatus. Contents data can be transmitted and downloaded from the host apparatus in the selling agency to the customer's player via the terminal apparatus in the store.
A second conceivable contents sale system includes a server and clients connected via the Internet. Clients are customer's personal computers respectively. Customer's players can be connected to the customer's personal computers. Contents data can be transmitted and downloaded from a selling agency to a customer's player via the server, the Internet, and a customer's personal computer. The customer's personal computer can be replaced by an equivalent relay station as required for i-mode customers. Here, “i-mode” means a contents-information transmission service provided by a mobile telecommunication company to users of mobile telecommunication terminals via the Internet.
It is desirable to prevent contents data from being transmitted and downloaded to an illegal customer's player. Even in the case where contents data have been transmitted and downloaded to a legitimate customer's player, it is desirable to manage copying the contents data for copyright.
For the convenience of customers, it is desirable to combine contents sale systems of different types into a widely-usable contents sale system.